So the Matrice 4 series just came out. It seems very similar to the Mavic series in all but the name, so I hope it's OK to post about it here.
Here's a comparison based on the official specs between the Mavic 3 Pro, the Mavic 3 Enterprise (with RTK attachment) and the Matrice 4 Enterprise (M4E).
Here are my preliminary observations:
The M3E RTK and M4E are similarly priced. The M4E has about 9% more flight time according to official specs, and is 35% heavier than the M3E and 48% heavier than the M3P. The drone should remain in the same C2 category as the heavier drones in the M3 series. The internal storage is gone.
The camera(s) and flight characteristics seem largely unchanged, except for slightly faster max ascent/descent/forward speeds. DJI claims "The Matrice 4 series cameras have larger apertures" which doesn't seem to reflect in the specs - what do they mean by that?
The M4E boasts a 112x "hybrid" zoom, what does that mean? DJI also hints at better low-light and night-time capabilities.
The shutter speed seem to be limited to a maximum of 2 second exposure for the main camera, as opposed to 8 seconds for the M3 series.
The maximum video birate has lowered significantly, but I wouldn'd read too much into that.
The new 5-directional oblique and 3-directional ortho capture system seems to imply that you can map a larger area using constantly varying gimbal angles, thereby reducing the necessary flight overlap or flight repetitions?
If I am reading this correctly, I assume this will only work using 0.5s JPG shooting intervals and flight speeds that ensure your forward overlap is maintained at (5 + 1) * 0.5 seconds for oblique or (3 + 1) * 0.5 seconds for ortho between shots. I'm not sure how that would impact the side overlap, especially considering that the pictures would be staggered in the axis of flight direction.
There is also a "Smart 3D Capture" feature that I couldn't find any additional information about.
The M4E offers a rangefinder. Is it used for navigation only? Are we able to access that data on the SD card?
OcuSync 4E raises the claimed transimission range by 10km for FCC and 4km to CE, at the cost of going from 60fps live view to 30fps.
DJI seems to be betting on its accessories and AI, catering to business and public service uses. Some AI detection features seem to have been added, but the extent isn't clear. They also seem to hint at the fact that the detection model can be trained to detect other features? I assume only DJI would be able to update the model, so that would have to be a partnership.
Is this the drone we saw in the alleged Mavic 4 leaks?
Credit: the table is adapted from Gabe Shakour's work
Here's a comparison based on the official specs between the Mavic 3 Pro, the Mavic 3 Enterprise (with RTK attachment) and the Matrice 4 Enterprise (M4E).
| Mavic 3 Pro | Mavic 3E RTK | Matrice 4E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (Basic Combo) | €2,169.00 | €4,318.00 | €4,562.00 |
| SPECS | |||
| Max Takeoff Weight | 958g | 1050g | 1420g |
| Folded Size (L×W×H) | 221×96.3×90.3 mm | 221×96.3×90.3 mm | 261x114x138 mm |
| Advertised flight time | 43min | 45min | 49min |
| Real world flight time | 31min | 33min | ? |
| Max Ascent Speed | 8 m/s | 8 m/s | 10 m/s |
| Max Descent Speed | 6 m/s | 6 m/s | 8 m/s |
| Max Speed (Sport mode) | 68.4kph (42.5mph) | 68.4kph (42.5mph) | 68.4kph (42.5mph) |
| Max Speed (Normal mode) | 54kph (33.5mph) | 54kph (33.5mph) | ? |
| Gimbal Tilt | -90° - 35º | -90° - 35º | -90° - 35º |
| Temperature Range | -10°C to 40°C | -10°C to 40°C | -10°C to 40°C |
| Wind Resistance | 43.2kph (26.8mph) | 43.2kph (26.8mph) | 43.2kph (26.8mph) |
| Max Flight Ceiling | 6000m | 6000m | 6000m |
| IP Rating | No | No | No |
| Class (EU) | C2 | C2 | C2 |
| CAMERA | |||
| Main Sensor size | Micro 4/3 | Micro 4/3 | Micro 4/3 |
| Main Sensor | Sony IMX272AQK | Sony IMX272AQK | ? |
| Main Pixel Size | 3.3 µm | 3.3 µm | ? |
| Main Sensor area (mm²) | 221.7mm² | 221.7mm² | ? |
| Main Lens | 24mm | 24mm | 24mm |
| Shutter | Hasselblad Camera: 1/8000-8 s Medium Tele Camera: 1/8000-2 s Tele Camera: 1/8000-2 s | Electronic Shutter: 1/8000-8 s Mechanical Shutter: 1/2000-8 s | Electronic Shutter: 1/8000-2 s Mechanical Shutter: 1/2000-2 s Medium Tele: 1/8000-2 s Tele: 1/8000-2 s |
| Aperture | f/2.8–f/11 | f/2.8–f/11 | f/2.8–f/11 |
| ISO | 100-6400 (Still | Video Normal) 100-1600 (Video D-Log M | HLG) 800-12800 (Night)[/b] | 100-6400 | ? |
| Effective Megapixels | 20MP | 20MP | 20MP |
| Max Video Resolution | 5.1K/50fps (17:9) | 4K/30fps (16:9) | 4k/30fps (16:9) |
| 10-Bit Video | D-Log M, D-Log, HLG | - | Standard, D-Log M, D-Log, HLG |
| Max Video Bitrate | 200 Mbps | 130 Mbps | 60 Mbps |
| Multiple Cameras | Yes (3x & 7x) | Yes (7x) | Yes (3x & 7x) |
| Zoom | Yes (7x Optical/28x Digital) | Yes (7x Optical/28x Digital) | Yes (7x Optical/112x Hybrid) |
| FEATURES | |||
| Development SDK | No | Yes | Yes |
| Rangefinder | No | No | Yes |
| Internal storage | Yes (8GB) | Yes (64GB) | No |
| Obstacle Sensors | Omnidirectional | Omnidirectional | Omnidirectional |
| Global Navigation Satellite System | GPS + Galileo + BeiDou | GPS + Galileo + BeiDou | GPS + GLONASS (RTK-only) + BeiDou + Galileo |
| OcuSync Version # | OcuSync 3+ | OcuSync 3E | Ocusync 4E |
| Transmission Range | 15km FCC/8km CE | 15km FCC/8km CE | 25km FCC/12km CE |
| Live View Quality | 1080p@60fps | 1080p@60fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Compatible Controller(s) | RC-N1, DJI RC, DJI RC Pro | DJI RC Pro | DJI RC Plus 2 Enterprise |
Here are my preliminary observations:
The M3E RTK and M4E are similarly priced. The M4E has about 9% more flight time according to official specs, and is 35% heavier than the M3E and 48% heavier than the M3P. The drone should remain in the same C2 category as the heavier drones in the M3 series. The internal storage is gone.
The camera(s) and flight characteristics seem largely unchanged, except for slightly faster max ascent/descent/forward speeds. DJI claims "The Matrice 4 series cameras have larger apertures" which doesn't seem to reflect in the specs - what do they mean by that?
The M4E boasts a 112x "hybrid" zoom, what does that mean? DJI also hints at better low-light and night-time capabilities.
The shutter speed seem to be limited to a maximum of 2 second exposure for the main camera, as opposed to 8 seconds for the M3 series.
The maximum video birate has lowered significantly, but I wouldn'd read too much into that.
The new 5-directional oblique and 3-directional ortho capture system seems to imply that you can map a larger area using constantly varying gimbal angles, thereby reducing the necessary flight overlap or flight repetitions?
If I am reading this correctly, I assume this will only work using 0.5s JPG shooting intervals and flight speeds that ensure your forward overlap is maintained at (5 + 1) * 0.5 seconds for oblique or (3 + 1) * 0.5 seconds for ortho between shots. I'm not sure how that would impact the side overlap, especially considering that the pictures would be staggered in the axis of flight direction.
There is also a "Smart 3D Capture" feature that I couldn't find any additional information about.
The M4E offers a rangefinder. Is it used for navigation only? Are we able to access that data on the SD card?
OcuSync 4E raises the claimed transimission range by 10km for FCC and 4km to CE, at the cost of going from 60fps live view to 30fps.
DJI seems to be betting on its accessories and AI, catering to business and public service uses. Some AI detection features seem to have been added, but the extent isn't clear. They also seem to hint at the fact that the detection model can be trained to detect other features? I assume only DJI would be able to update the model, so that would have to be a partnership.
Is this the drone we saw in the alleged Mavic 4 leaks?
Credit: the table is adapted from Gabe Shakour's work
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